400. Dire Straits - Dire Straits

Dire Straits are a band where the default setting is to hate. A minority will find themselves feeling ambivalent towards the group, and a hardcore handful will describe themselves as active fans. Having created these arbitrary divisions, I will know place myself outside of them - I don't know their back catalogue well enough to be a real fan, but I do love some of their albums and singles. This, their debut album, was one I didn't know well at all, and the only song I'd heard of was Sultans of Swing.

The band were formed around the brothers Mark and David Knopfler in Deptford, South East London. Many of their songs reflect the move from Newcastle to the capital city, and their first break came by being played on BBC Radio London. They were eventually signed to Vertigo Records, and released their debut album in 1978, before touring as a support act for Talking Heads, and then a series of sold out dates in the US under their own name. Whilst their biggest selling albums were to come later, this album did catapult them into being a player on the global stage.

Down to the Waterline is a very light, slightly swingy pop song, with some great Mark Knopfler licks embodying what would really become his trademark sound. It doesn't promise much, but is enjoyable enough, and with more depth to it than Water of Love, which is quite forgettable - catchy chorus aside. Setting Me Up left me feeling fairly cold - it doesn't do anything, it's Country Honk style not really sitting well with the rest of the album. Six Blade Knife made little impression on me at first, but I grew to enjoy by the end. Whilst I have no idea what it is supposed to represent, the slow, brooding sound suits the band. Southbound Again has an upbeat, driving feel to it, and appears to be straight out of the Chris Rea songbook; no bad thing. Sultans of Swing is the clear standout track, and it shines even after repeated listens. The meta approach of a song about a band enables each of the musicians to impress individually and collectively. The combination of a catchy chorus alongside some great solo works and narrative verses make for a great overall song. In the Gallery is much more interesting, exploring the world of modern art from a fairly cynical perspective. The guitar sound has an almost Ska feel to it, which works well with the meandering bass and drums. Wild West End has a lilting sound to it, and the almost spoken word nature of the vocal delivery works well. Lions has a slight swagger to it, and tells of Knopfler's experiences upon moving to London, and is reasonably pleasant.

This album is one that could be a flag-bearer for Middle-of-the-Road if it had enough conviction to even pull that off. It is real background music, and whilst that is helpful when you have a newborn baby around all the time, it isn't really what I look for. I really hoped to come across some hidden gems whilst listening to it, but in reality the best song by a mile was the only one I knew before. As an album it not only can't touch Brothers in Arms, but it falls short of Love over Gold too. It is highly inoffensive, and certainly not bad music per se, but just too forgettable to warrant a higher score.

Chloe's album rating: 5

Chloe's favourite track: 6. Sultans of Swing

Olly's abum rating: 5

Olly's favourite track: 6. Sultans of Swing

Next week we have 60. Aftermath by The Rolling Stones; not one of their albums I know too well.